Whenever basketball rivals Brunswick and St. Luke's meet it doesn't seem to matter how big a lead either team enjoys during the course of the game, as the outcome is usually decided in the final few minutes.

That was exactly the scenario last night, as the hot-shooting Crusaders stormed to a seemingly commanding 23-point second-half advantage before their raucous home crowd. But the shots began falling and the defensive stops kept coming for the Bruins, who suddenly faced only a four-point deficit in the final minute of play. Brunswick, however, learned that putting itself in too big a hole can be dangerous.

St. Luke's School, which has watched Brunswick School hold the upper hand in the rivalry, earned what will no doubt be one of its biggest wins of its season Friday night, edging the Bruins 60-55 in a key FAA matchup.

"When you dig that big a hole for yourself, you have to be perfect while you are making your comeback," Brunswick coach Anthony Fischetti said. "We were able to withstand their first knockout blow, but then they closed the half with a big run. We used so much energy coming back."

Related Stories

Senior guard Max Barrett continued his torrid scoring pace, totaling a game-high 31 points for the Bruins (6-4, 3-1 FAA). Barrett, who took over the game in the second half for the Bruins by aggressively driving to the basket, poured in 17 points in the first half.

"We know that we have to come out with more intensity than we did tonight," said Barrett, a senior co-captain. "Tonight, we did not match their intensity and we let too many of their players get open shots."

Leading 39-26 early in the second half, the Crusaders went on a 13-3 run to open a 49-26 advantage with 10:50 remaining, much to the delight of the home crowd. Dugas converted a pair of 3-pointers and Johnston swished a shot from beyond the arc, putting the visitors in a unenviable situation.

Brunswick wasn't about to give in to one of its fiercest competitors however. Sparked by their solid man-to-man defense, the Bruins began to cut into the Crusaders lead. Senior forward Zach Lynch made two free throws and scored off a strong drive to the basket, pulling the visitors to within 57-51 with just over one minute left to play. Barrett scored on a layup off a steal,making it 59-55, but the Crusaders were able to hold on.

Mahoney sank a pair of clutch jump shots and Dugas made a key jumper during the Bruins' run to help St. Luke's stem the tide.

"They went on a nice run and made some nice steals and we made some mistakes and they climbed back in," St. Luke's coach Kevin Anthony said. "But we found a way to get our composure and we executed real well and started to knock some shots down."

Dugas' 3-pointer from the top of the key and Mahoney's layup off a fastbreak put St. Luke's up 17-6 six minutes into the opening half. Brunswick, however, went on a 12-2 run to make it a 19-18 game with 3:41 to go in the first half.

More timely perimeter shooting by Mahoney helped the Crusaders build another double digit lead. His 3-pointer, leaner in the lane and trey from the right side, gave St. Luke's a 32-20 halftime edge.

"He (Mahoney) played a big game," Anthony said. "He has done a great job offensively and defensively. We have had five really tough games with Brunswick the last two years and ended up on the short end of things each time, so it's nice to get a win."

Senior forward and co-captain had three points and grabbed a team-high 20 rebounds, while Lynch contributed nine points for the Bruins, who shot 17-of-29 from the foul line.

"It was a great comeback by our team," Pierce said. "Down 23 we could have folded, but we hung in there and almost pulled it out. I think a loss like this could help our team. It teaches us that we have to come out strong from the start of the game."

Said Fischetti: "Our team is disappointed with the loss, but I think this could be a building block for what happens next month and later in the season."

NOTES: The Crusaders shot 9-of-18 from the foul line. ... Center Billy Murphy contributed nine points for the Bruins. ... The teams will duel again on Jan. 29 at Brunswick at 6 p.m. ... The Bruins beat the Crusaders twice last season and three times two years ago.